Before
by chocokat13
Summary: The prequel to my story 'Faults'. Shows both sides of how Faults came to be! TWOSHOT.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the prequel to my twoshot story 'Faults.' Enjoy. :)**

Before

"Declan? What are you doing here?" Holly asked, not opening the door wide enough for him to peek in.

"I thought I'd visit one last time before Yale. To see where we stand," Declan said, fiddling with his tie.

Holly J opened her mouth to say something, but shut it, pondering what she would say. "Why are you so dressed up?"

"The Spring Dance is tonight, right? I figured I'd be your escort."

"I'm not going," Holly J informed him. "I don't have anything decent to wear even if I wanted to go."

"That can be easily fixed. Come on, I'll take you dress shopping," Declan said, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Declan," Holly J sighed. "I don't have any money."

"I'll handle that."

"No! This is why we broke up, remember?"

Declan flinched, and Holly J's lips pressed into a thin line. "Look, Declan…"

"Then at least let me take you out to dinner, my treat. Just as friends," Declan insisted.

"Can I at least change into something a little dressier…?" Holly J asked, looking down at the school uniform she was still wearing.

"Nope! It won't matter. Come on, before they give away our reservations," Declan said, taking Holly J's hand and pulling her outside to his waiting car.

"Reservations? You…you…!"

"I know you inside and out, Holly J, and I figured you wouldn't be as opposed to going to dinner together as going to the dance together." He opened the passenger side door for her, and she slid in. He shut it and got in on the other side, revving the engine and pulling away from the curb.

"Declan Coyne, you sly dog," Holly J grumbled, but a smile was playing on her lips.

They pulled up in front of a fancy restaurant, and Holly J wanted to complain about how underdressed she was as they walked inside and up to the podium, where the waiter then proceeded to lead them to their table.

"I'll be right back to take your orders," he assured them before walking away.

As Holly J scanned the menu, Declan asked, "So…you are going to Yale, right?"

Holly J nodded slightly. "I tried so incredibly hard to get in that I have to. My parents would kill me if I didn't after everything I did to get in."

"Right, right…" Declan murmured.

The waiter came back, and they each mumbled their orders. The waiter assured them that the chef would get right on their food and walked away, tucking his pen back in his apron.

"Do you know what major you want to take when you get to Yale?" Declan asked, folding his hands on the table and playing with his thumbs.

Holly J shook her head. "Not yet, no."

"I would start thinking about it, if I were you," Declan advised her, smiling kindly.

Holly J couldn't help but smile back. "I am, don't worry. And you? What majors are you considering?"

"Directing or screenwriting. I'm looking for majors in the arts, really," Declan replied, sipping at his water.

"Ah, of course you would."

"You're not implying something, are you?"

"No, no. It's just…with Space Awakening and how well you did with it…I think it would be in your best interest to major in the arts."

"Yes, of course," Declan said with a nod.

Holly J focused her stare on Declan's hands, afraid to look him in the eyes. She didn't want him to use that charm on her; she was with Sav, they both knew that, and she didn't want Declan to change that.

"I miss being able to talk to you, HJ," Declan said softly.

"I never told you that you couldn't," Holly J pointed out.

"But you implied that we shouldn't speak at all," Declan rebuked her. "I didn't come just to talk about what we intend on doing at Yale. I came to talk about what _we'll _be at Yale."

"Declan -"

"You said that once you graduated, you and Sav would go separate ways. So why can't we pick up where we left off?" Declan interjected as the waiter finally arrived with their food, not saying a word to interrupt their argument as he served them, then walking away.

Holly J sighed. "I don't know right now, okay? I'm still confused about what I'm feeling right now. I don't think it'll be that easy to let go of Sav and just move on to you in a heartbeat."

"I thought you and Sav were just a fling," Declan said sourly, taking a bite of his fillet.

"…He told me he loves me," Holly J muttered quietly, picking at her spaghetti.

Declan swallowed hard, staring at her blankly. "And you…do you feel the same way?"

"I told you, I don't know!" Holly J snapped. "Can you just let me eat?"

Declan didn't say anything more as they each worked on finishing their meals. When they had, Declan told the waiter they weren't interested in dessert and paid, following Holly J out of the restaurant and to the car.

Declan started the car and started driving slowly back to Holly J's house. He snuck a peek at her; she was staring dazedly out the window, lost in thought.

"You know I love you, right, Holly J?" Declan murmured.

Holly J turned her head slowly to look at him. After awhile of searching his face, she nodded tiredly. "Yeah. Yeah I do."

And it was in that instant that she saw a bright light shining through Declan's window, getting brighter as it came closer. "Declan, watch out!"

_Crash._

**Hope you all liked it! :) Review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I wrote another little prequel to Faults. I felt like I might as well show what caused the other half of the crash and such. Enjoy the shortness!**

***By the way, this used to be a oneshot, but I decided I would just add it to the original prequel. **

Before II

The glare of the street lamps were the only thing illuminating Eli's way as he sped down the road. He blinked a few times, trying to make his reddening vision return to normal again.

She wasn't that kind of person. No. Clare Edwards would never betray him like this. Not ever.

And yet he found her in the arms of _him, _the one person she knew would kill Eli if he saw them together.

_"Eli?" Clare's blue eyes widened when she had caught sight of him. Her arms dropped from around Fitz's neck, and Fitz turned around to glare at Eli._

_Clare straightened her blue silk dress, crossing her arms over her chest. "I thought you weren't coming to the dance."_

_"I figured I would surprise you," Eli said through gritted teeth, squeezing the box he was clutching in his hand._

___Clare sighed. "Eli, this isn't what you think."_

_"No. I think it is," Eli retorted coldly. He whipped around, stalking down the hallway towards the door. _

_"Eli, wait!" Clare called. "Eli! Elijah!"_

_"Let him go," Eli heard Fitz mutter._

___Eli pushed open the door, the cold night air hitting his face. He half-ran down to his hearse, trying to hold back the monster growing within him, the tears stinging in his eyes._

_"No!" Eli roared, smashing his fists on Morty's hood. He threw the box containing the corsage he had bought for her across the lot, his chest heaving._

_He threw open Morty's door, sticking the keys in the ignition and driving off into the night._

A sudden ringing brought Eli out of his memories. He waited a moment before answering his phone, though not saying anything.

The person on the other end waited a moment before asking, "Eli?"

Clare's voice made Eli's heart ache in pain. "What?" he snapped.

"Eli, please…Fitz…I was just dancing with him. He was lonely…" Clare attempted to explain.

"Clare, you made a promise, remember? That you would never leave me," Eli reminded her, voice edgy. "But _you ripped my heart out!_"

"No…me and Fitz…we aren't meant to be together!" Clare insisted, voice quivering at the hurt in his words.

"But we are?" Eli asked, but it came out as more of a statement.

"Eli, I love_ you._ You know that!"

"I'm not sure if I do," he whispered, closing his eyes as he braked at a red lightly and leaning back in his seat.

There was a minute of silence before Clare spoke up. "Eli?"

He didn't answer as the light turned green. The car didn't budge, Eli still sitting motionless, phone pressed to his ear.

"Eli, answer me!" Clare's panicked voice shouted.

Eli ignored her pleas, listening to the wind blowing outside through the empty street.

Should he believe her?

This wasn't the first time he had caught her in a compromising situation with Fitz. But she had apologized for the last and, after all, Fitz had come to her.

"Eli, please answer me!" Clare tried again.

"Clare…I don't know if I…if I can," Eli murmured.

"No, Eli, no! Fitz and I…we weren't…I love you! I don't think of Fitz that way! You have to believe me!" Clare begged.

Eli inhaled, letting out the breath slowly. "Give me…give me some time. Away. From you. From everybody."

"Oh, so when I ask for space, I can't have it, but when you want it, I'm just supposed to give in to you?" Clare remarked coolly.

"Clare, it's different!" Eli growled, eyes snapping open. "I didn't break your heart!"

"I didn't mean to -"

"Enough!" Eli yelled, one hand clenching on the steering wheel. His foot hit the gas, Morty now looking forward. "Just stop!"

"Eli - !" Clare stopped speaking when she heard a metallic screeching from over the phone, followed by a bang and static, loud crashing sounds ringing in her ears. She heard a distant, shrill scream that was certainly not Eli's. Then silence.

"Eli?" Clare's shaky voice called. More silence.

"Eli? Answer me!"

"Eli!"

She desperately kept calling his name, praying he would eventually pick up the phone and respond, all the while listening closely and pressing the phone tightly to her ear. She heard the wails of sirens after a few minutes, and then a man's deep voice sounded in the background.

"This one looks bad," the voice grunted. "Help me pull him out, George. He's real stuck." More grunts.

"Oh. Please. No," Clare whispered, a sob rising in her throat. She was imagining this. She must be.

"Kid," the deep voice spoke again, "if you can hear me, I think things'll be okay. I've seen worse."

A low moan. Then suddenly a hoarse voice whispered, making Clare strain to hear it:

"Clare. I need Clare."

**Author's Note: Again, I'm so sorry about the shortness. There really wasn't too much to write about, or at least I couldn't think of anything else. Because Eli was mad at Clare during Faults, I couldn't have him makeup with Clare in this story before he crashed. So I just extended Clare's apology for awhile. xD Anyway, review, please! :)**


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